Alex Zhao, a first-grader at Avery Coonley School in Downers Grove, is the K-1 National Champion!

Alex defeated Californian Sriram Krishnakumar in the final round to secure the championship after upsetting top-rated Marvin Gao (1613) and third-ranked Adrian Kondakov (1500) in the sixth and fifth rounds respectively. 

Sriram was the top tiebreak in the ten-player 6.0 scoregroup, which included Illinois' Dimitar Mardov. Sriram claimed third place, Dimitar, the K-1 Illinois Champion, took fifth place. Sriram defeated Dimitar in the sixth round.

Virginia Kindergartner Ronen Wilson had a shot at the co-championship, but could only manage a draw in the last round against second-rated William Safranek (1596) of New York. Ronen finished with 6.5 to claim second place outright.

280 competed in the section. All of Alex's opponents essentially finished in the top quarter of the field (Rohan Padhye tied for 70th with 4.0/7).

Alex's strong showing paced Avery Coonley to a fifth place team trophy. Also contributing to the team total were Declan Reenan (4.5), Austin Lok (4.0) and Liam Goyal (3.0).

Along with Declan, first-grader Harshal Joshi finished with 4.5.

Harshal's 4.5 paced Grove Elementary (Normal) to a 16th place trophy. Grove's score was rounded out by 3.0's from Alex Daniels, Ricardo Padilla and Chris Jones.

A trio of Illinois entrants scored 4.0, first-graders Catherine Liu and Sohum Mehta joined Avery Coonley's Austin, a kindergartner, with that score.

Results can be viewed here.

The 2015 National Elementary Championships concluded May 10 in Nashville, TN.